It's a day early but, Happy Winter Solstice!
Don't forget to check out my Alternate Pairings contest! The link to the details is on my profile page.
Chapter Thirty-Six:
"Taru… Taru?" Pudding whispered as she stared at Tart. Her Red Knight.
"Tart," Ichigo muttered, her head spinning.
First Pie was the White Knight. Now Tart was the Red Knight.
What was going on?
"Let. Her. Go." The Red Knight ordered Chile, raising his axe, pointing it at the Cyniclon boy.
"Miss Pudding!"
The Red Knight's eyes turned to see Yuebin entering the clearing.
All Yuebin could see was an alien holding Pudding, while another pointed an axe in the same direction that she stood in.
He decided to go after the one with the weapon.
The Red Knight reacted quickly, the sound of metal hitting metal resounding through the clearing as the Red Knight's axe met Yuebin's sword.
"Are all Chinese people capable of pulling stuff out of nowhere, or just the ones I know?" Ichigo asked out-loud, having noticed that that Yuebin did not seem to be carrying a sword when he appeared. She shook her head and went back to the problem at hand: Chile still held tightly to Pudding and had regained his dagger.
The Red Knight was very well aware of this problem as well, and not pleased with Yuebin getting in his way.
Pudding kicked and fought, trying to get out of Chile's arms, eyes wide. By now, she wasn't worrying about her own safety.
"YUEBIN! DON'T HURT HIM!" She screamed, her heart pounding as she watched Yuebin swing his sword towards the Red Knight's arm. She didn't want Tart to hurt Yuebin, or Yuebin to hurt Tart… But Tart was the Red Knight, her Red Knight.
He had come, to protect her. And so had Yuebin.
And now they were mistakenly fighting each other.
Pudding wasn't going to just sit around and watch.
She clamped her monkey fangs down sharply on Chile's arm, causing him to howl in pain and throw her off. She stumbled, but managed to stay upright. However, despite that, she dove onto the grass, frantically searching for her pendant.
"I know it's here, somewhere," She whispered. "Where is it?"
She gasped sharply as a hand wrapped around her ankle.
"Mylo's going to love this," Chile said. "And so easy too, luring out a Knight like this."
"Get off of her, you little alien freak!" Ichigo yelled, throwing her Strawberry Bell at Chile as she ran.
The bell clipped Chile's shoulder, leaving a welt. However, before Ichigo could catch her Bell, she felt strong arms grab her, one wrapping around her waist, pinning her arms to her sides, while the other arm clamped a hand over her mouth.
Ichigo screamed and fought to no avail as she tried to escape Mylo's hold.
"Forgive me, Koneko-Chan," Mylo said, whispering silkily into her furry cat ear, using Kish's nickname for her in a mocking tone. "But I was hoping we would have another addition to this little party, the last minute invitation to the Green Knight."
Why lure out the Knights? Ichigo questioned. Then her eyes widened.
Mylo's team was occupying the former base of Pie, Kish and Tart. Which meant that Mylo would have access to everything from that time.
She knew Pie; he would have kept a log of every single battle, every single Chimera used, every single piece of information gleaned. Still did. Kish teased him mercilessly about it, how it occupied his attention after a battle.
Which meant that Mylo surely had found at least a copy of those logs and everything in them. Including that the Knights would do anything to save the life of the one they swore to save.
Even if it meant lying down and dying.
Pudding tried to kick Chile in the face with her free foot, but he just grabbed her other ankle. She tried to squirm and crawl away, screaming in pain some as his claws dug into her flesh.
The Red Knight's fiery eyes looked away from Yuebin.
His princess was in pain.
He had to go to her.
Seeing that the Cyniclon man with the axe was again heading towards Pudding, Yuebin lunged with a war cry after the Red Knight, who instantly turned to defend himself. The Red Knight couldn't protect his princess if he was dead.
Chile smirked.
Just as planned.
Pudding panted hard, her eyes wet with tears of pain and frustration as they went back and forth between Chile and the battle between the Red Knight and Yuebin.
"You knew," Pudding whispered through her pants. "That Tart is the Red Knight."
Chile gave a brief nod.
"I figured out the connection when Taruto was our prisoner couple months back," Chile said. "He practically gave himself away. He threatened me. Used the exact same words as the Red Knight had. Didn't help him at all that his eyes turned the same color. If the baka didn't want us to find out, he should have held a better grasp on his temper."
Pudding's mind was screaming "He didn't even know himself!".
But she came back to her priorities when Chile mused out loud,
"I wonder which one is going to come out alive and the victor. I'm betting on the Red Knight."
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw something in the Red Knight's eyes change.
He knew he wasn't making any progress saving Pudding while still battling Yuebin.
His axe gleamed in the sunlight threateningly.
He was going to have to end this.
Pudding's eyes widened.
If she didn't stop him soon, the Red Knight was going to kill Yuebin.
She knew she had to escape this mess somehow. She had to get Tart back to normal.
And she knew how to do it.
Ichigo continued to struggle against Mylo, who was starting to get impatient at the lack of the Green Knight.
"I'm tired of waiting around," Mylo said.
The next thing Ichigo knew, she had teleported. She was now lying flat on her back on the grass of the clearing. Mylo flicked his wrist and suddenly thick metal cords were wrapped around Ichigo's wrists and ankles, and they were rooted deep in the ground. Ichigo's eyes widened as Mylo stood over her, blocking the sun so that he appeared as a shadow.
However, the glint of the knife in his hand was not shrouded in darkness.
Mylo smirked.
"Time to provoke a Knight," He said, raising the knife above his head, preparing to plunge it into Ichigo's chest.
Ichigo screamed and turned her head away.
There was the sound of metal on metal, but this didn't come from the battle between Yuebin and the Red Knight.
This was much closer.
Right above her head close.
Ichigo looked up to see one of the Green Knight's swords blocking Mylo's knife, the flat of the blade of the other sword pressed against Mylo's throat.
The Green Knight smirked.
"Fool." He said. "For oh-so-willingly begging for me to come."
Mylo smirked as well, his eyes glinting.
"Fool," He said. "For walking into my trap."
And so, the duel between Mylo and the Green Knight began. Ichigo struggled against her bonds, but it was useless. She would have to wait. She turned her head over towards Pudding, hoping the younger Mew was having better luck.
And she was. For Chile, distracted by the duel between the Red Knight and Yuebin, had forgotten to do one important thing: Find some way to pin down her wrists.
Needless to say, he was quickly introduced the KouEnJi Kenpou fighting style Screeching Fist face punch. She was seventy-five percent sure he was going to wake up again, and eighty percent sure that if he did, it would be within the hour.
Pudding got to her feet, abandoning the search for her pendant. She didn't have time. She ran as fast as she could, her feet pounding the grass, trying to get to the battle between the Knights.
"Miss Pudding, go!" Yuebin yelled at her. "I don't want you to get hurt!"
"Princess, leave," The Red Knight ordered.
"No!" Pudding yelled.
Yuebin lowered his guard for just a split second, turning to her to tell her to leave again.
That was all it took for the Red Knight to knock him to the ground, sending Yuebin's sword flying. The Red Knight brought back his arms, axe high, the blades glinting in the sunlight.
And aiming right at Yuebin's neck.
Pudding's eyes widened and she did the only thing she could think of.
Which was to jump onto the Red Knight's back.
"Taru-Taru, I know you're in there, so please listen to me," Pudding begged, her arms clutched around his neck, her legs around his torso. "Don't hurt Yuebin, please!"
"Because of him getting in my way, I was unable to protect you, my princess," The Red Knight mumbled, glaring at Yuebin.
"You've always been protecting me, Taru-Taru," Pudding said. "Do you remember when we were trapped under the stadium? You teleported me out before I ran out of air."
There was a pause of long, painful silence.
"You are mistaken," The Red Knight said. "Those memories are not mine. I am not 'Taru-Taru'. I am the Red Knight."
"Please," Pudding begged through her tears. "For me. Don't hurt him."
The axe lowered slowly.
"Only for you, my princess," The Red Knight said tiredly as he rested the head of the axe on the ground.
Pudding breathed a sigh of relief.
"Thank you," She whispered.
The Green Knight had dueled Mylo until he disappeared. The Green Knight didn't pause to ponder Mylo's sudden teleporting. Just went back to Ichigo, freeing her.
"Thank you," Ichigo said as she sat up, rubbing at the welts on her wrists.
"Anytime, my sweetheart," The Green Knight said, helping her to her feet. "I am afraid that this is where we must part ways for now. It's the Red Knight's turn now."
"You're leaving? Now?" Ichigo said, her eyes wide. "But… please… who are… what are…"
The Green Knight pressed a finger to her lips and smiled gently at her.
"All in good time, sweetheart," He said. He winked at her. "Until then."
And, just like that, he walked away, leaving Ichigo with her heart pounding and a buzz of questions through her head.
"Capturing one is easier anyway."
Ichigo turned to Mylo, who had teleported back into the clearing.
"What do you want with the Knights?" Ichigo demanded.
"To kill them, of course," Mylo said, as if the answer was obvious. "But not after studying them. How they work. Where they came from."
"They aren't machines!" Ichigo snapped. "They're living beings!"
"Yes, yes, that's been made clear," Mylo said. "But you want to know the answers too, don't you? You want to know what the secret is to these three mysterious Knights that have suddenly appeared for you and your two friends. I already know that you've had another Knight previously. Deep Blue-Sama."
Mylo smirked at watching Ichigo's expression change ever so slightly as he said.
"You didn't know everything about these Knights then. You don't know everything now. No one knows anything. Don't you see? At the end of the day, neither side knows anything."
Mylo's smirk grew even larger as he studied Ichigo's face.
"That scares you, doesn't it, Mew Ichigo?"
"Shut up, you windbag," The Red Knight grunted irritably, sliding Pudding off his back. From a little distance, Chile sat up, holding his head in his hand dizzily. Pudding was somewhat glad for that; she wasn't really trying to kill him or anything.
"You know nothing for a very good reason. And it will stay that way," The Red Knight continued. "Don't you see that otherwise you are just leading yourself to your own demise?"
"You accuse me of knowing nothing," Mylo said coolly. "I will soon be all powerful, and not you nor your 'brothers' will be able to stop me."
The Red Knight smirked.
"Good. 'Cause that's not our job," He said. "My job, on the other hand, is simple: play messenger and protect the princess. And my message is this: You've still got time. You can still back out. But your time is running out. You've still got one more chance. That's all."
Mylo stared long and hard at the Red Knight.
"I believe you should stick to only one job," He said evenly.
"Protect her."
And, just like that, a silver knife soared through the air, hurtled right at Pudding, whose eyes widened.
The Red Knight caught the knife by the blade in midair, scarlet blood seeping from his closed fist.
By then, Mylo and Chile were gone.
The Red Knight threw aside the knife, glancing briefly at the wound on his open palm.
"Can't be helped," He said with a shrug.
"You're hurt!" Pudding exclaimed, rushing over to him. The Red Knight shrugged.
"Like I said, can't be helped," He said.
"Taru-Taru," Pudding breathed, looking up into the face of a near-stranger, knowing that the boy she knew and loved was inside.
The Red Knight shook his head.
"Not him," He said. "Sorry."
"You are!" Pudding insisted, tears in her eyes. She threw herself against his chest, clutching tightly to his shirt with a fist. "You are! Pudding knows you're there, Taru-Taru… please come back out!"
The Red Knight just shook his head more as he carefully removed Pudding from his torso.
"I am sorry," He said, staring into her eyes.
Pudding's eyes filled with more tears and she ducked her face. She though back to New Year's Eve. How the White Knight just shook his head as Lettuce called him by his name, his real name, the name of the man underneath the Knight.
How she knew how to find him.
"I… Pudding wants to do one thing before you go," Pudding whispered.
"Princess?' The Red Knight said, awaiting her next words.
"You… You were injured protecting Pudding. And Pudding… wants to give you a kiss. To make it feel better," Pudding said, giving him a small, somewhat shy smile.
The Red Knight sighed.
"I am currently not in any pain. Please do not believe you have to do anything of that sort," He said. "Besides. It is not only my duty, but my honor to protect you. I will gladly bear any injuries received in doing so without complaint, for it was for my princess."
"And it would be Pudding's honor and duty to rightfully thank you for doing so," Pudding said. "So, please? Will you let me thank you this way?"
The Red Knight considered it, finally nodding with a small sigh. He crouched down to the ground so that Pudding could kiss him. He thought she would just gently peck his cheek.
But no.
It was a full mouth-to-mouth kiss.
One that left the Red Knight with a candy drop inside his mouth.
"Surely, you remember that," Pudding whispered.
The Red Knight blinked slowly.
"Pudding?" He whispered. He blinked a few more times and his voice grew to a normal level. "Pudding… what happened? Are you okay? Where's Chile, that little piece of—hey, hey, why are you crying?"
Pudding smiled through her tears.
His face and voice was still that of the Red Knight.
But he was still her Taru-Taru.
"Because Taru-Taru is back!" She said, throwing her arms around him.
"I went somewhere?" Tart asked, confused, gently hugging her back. Then his eyes widened as he saw red on his palm. "Pudding, what happened?"
"Oi, chibi," Ichigo said, causing Tart to look up at the de-transformed girl. She tossed a small, flat square at him. "Take a look."
Tart struggled to open the small compact mirror with his not bleeding hand and his eyes widened.
"Whoa," He said, studying his reflection. He looked down at Pudding, his face still one of shock. She gave a weak laugh and rubbed her teary eyes.
"You're Pudding's Red Knight, Taru-Taru," She whispered.
"Always have and always will," Tart said, lifting the corner of his mouth.
The smirk may have been on the Red Knight's face, but it was definitely Tart's.
Pudding threw herself back into his arms, making him topple over. She buried her face in his shoulder, a large smile on her face as he gently ran his hand over her back, over her hair, kissing the top of her head.
When Pudding opened her eyes again, she wasn't looking into the Red Knight's fiery red eyes.
She was looking into Tart's bronze orbs instead. He grinned at her.
Pudding laughed and hugged Tart again and he pulled her into his lap, gently kissing the top of her head.
"I… am very confused…" Yuebin admitted to Ichigo.
"You get used to it," Ichigo said with a small smile, folding her arms over her chest.
"Tart! Pudding!"
Ichigo and Yuebin turned to see the rest of the de-transformed Tokyo Defenders enter the clearing, out of breath and accompanied by Mr. Fong and, to Ichigo's surprise, Rirī.
"Are you all alright?" Lettuce asked concernedly.
"Everyone's fine," Ichigo said, noticing that the wound on the Red Knight's palm disappeared when he became Tart again. She gave her teammates a look that said that she'd tell the story later.
"Pudding," Mr. Fong said, looking at his daughter, who was refusing to let go of Tart. The girl didn't look at her father.
"I have nothing to say to you at the moment," Pudding said coolly. Mr. Fong frowned.
Tart looked over Pudding's head, his fingers gently going over the light curl at the tips of her blond locks as he stared at Yuebin, who held his gaze.
"Pudding," He said softly. "There is something I need to do."
"Taru-Taru?" Pudding whispered, frowning slightly in confusion as Tart set her on the grass, brushing his lips against her cheek before standing up himself.
Tart drew himself up to full height, back straight, shoulders back, a posture he stood in when being addressed as General.
And that was what worried everyone.
"Tart?" Rōzu said softly as Tart walked past, eyes hard and focused straight on Yuebin.
"Yuebin Ron, I challenge you to a Duel of Honor," Tart said firmly.
"WHAT?!" Rin exclaimed, eyes wide. She wasn't the only one: her sisters and twin were staring with wide-eyed shock as well. The humans exchanged glances. Whatever was about to happen was not going to be good.
Tart ignored his older sister's outburst.
"A Duel of Honor," Yuebin repeated, staring at Tart, meeting the boy's eyes.
"Yes," Tart said. "I am aware that you are pledged to marry Fong Pudding. However, I cannot let that happen."
"Oh?" Yuebin said, arching an eyebrow. "And why not?"
"To put it simply, I'm in love with her," Tart said. "I am also aware that the engagement is a result of you winning a duel with Fong Pudding. Therefore, the terms of the Duel are simple. I win, the engagement between you is broken off and Pudding is free to marry whomever she wants. No questions asked."
"Agreed," Yuebin said with a short nod of his head.
"However, if you win," Tart said, his voice low and even. "If I lose, I return to my native home, never to see Pudding again."
"Taru-Taru?" Pudding whispered, her eyes beginning to water. What was he doing? She looked to her father, hoping maybe he would stop this. But he just stood there, watching the exchange, face unreadable.
"The stakes seem pretty high for you," Yuebin said. "May I ask why those terms, especially for your loss?"
"I thought that the answer would be obvious," Tart said. "If I lose, and therefore you are still engaged to Pudding, proving that you are more capable of protecting her than I am, I cannot see her again. Because I will still love her. And to be near her but without her is as painful as having an arm cut off with a butter knife."
Yuebin considered the terms Tart had put before him.
"I am aware of your… abilities," Yuebin said, though the way he said it made everyone in-the-know aware that he meant 'alien super powers'. "And I personally feel that it is an unfair advantage."
"Feeling intimidated?" Tart asked with a small, evil smirk, the ones the Mews and his siblings knew well. "Never fear. I can temporarily bring myself down to your level. Even without my abilities, I am a formidable opponent."
"I do not doubt it," Yuebin said. Then, slowly, he said. "Very well. We will meet in the Fon Dojo in two hours-time."
Tart nodded sharply.
"I look forward to our next encounter," Tart said with a short bow. Yuebin returned the bow.
Before turning away, Yuebin spoke once more,
"I will not go easy on you, mark my words," Yuebin said.
Tart's evil smirk grew.
"Good," He said. "Means I don't have to hold back either."
With that, Yuebin and Tart left the clearing, going in separate directions. Mr. Fong followed Yuebin, giving a backwards glance to Pudding. She gave him a glare, one that said 'You could have stopped this'. He turned away. He didn't think either of them were ready to have a rational conversation yet.
Zakuro turned to the still-stunned Ikisatashi siblings (outraged, in Rin's case).
"What is it?" She asked. "This… This can't be an ordinary duel."
"If… if it is a Duel of Honor, then no. No, it is not," Pie said.
"Meaning?" Mint asked, now feeling worried.
"It is a very serious, very complicated Cyniclon ritual," Rirī said softly. "And… the stakes are extremely high."
"Tart said that if he lost, he wouldn't see Pudding again, is that what you meant?" Lettuce asked.
Pie and Rirī shook their heads.
"If Tart loses, he won't see any of us again," Rin explained, her eyes still filled with anger.
"Because if Tart does not win, he will be forced into exile, never to have contact with another person again."
The silence was deafening. Lettuce clapped her hand over her mouth while Mint's jaw dropped. Zakuro looked stunned. Ichigo's mouth opened and closed several times. Pudding just fell to the grass, shocked.
What had Tart just gotten himself into?